Posts Categorized: Personal

It’s that time of year – and as much as the merits and drawbacks of Daylight Savings Time have been discussed, it’s still here. Which means it’s about to be dark at 5 pm. We spend a lot of time at Inspire(d) HQ looking for the shiny positive things – people, places, events, stories – but we’re not rainbows and unicorns ALL the time. Aryn loves fall – the holidays, the leaves, the change of seasons. Benji, having spent six years in Northern California, could probably live just fine with temps above 40 and perpetual perfect bike-riding weather. But alas, we live in the Upper Midwest, and winter exists to make us appreciate all the other seasons. So in the midst of the dark, we offer you a few tips on how to keep your sanity, feel good, and shine through through this time of year.

1) Find your tribe – and organize them!

When you’re young and in school, it’s easy to know who your friends are (or aren’t!). But through other points in life, it’s not always easy to find or keep friends. Let’s face it: being a grown up isn’t always easy, and when you throw kids in the mix… whew, it can be exhausting. But you know when you meet those people and you think, “Dang, I want to hang out with them!”? Or when you think, “Gee, that might be fun…”?

Listen, you don’t need to be Martha Stewart to love where you live. Chances are, you’re going to be spending even more time in your humble aboad in the next couple of months, so why not make it the way you want it to be? De-cluttering can be one of the most satisfying activities ever – get rid of all that old crap that is weighing you down and taking up space that could be used for something fun! Literally rearranging the furniture can be like therapy for some people (Aryn… ahem…), and even if that’s not your thing, consider making an easy, affordable change – like painting a door or a wall a color you love that complements your space. It’s an easy afternoon activity, and it might spark more!

We are also big fans of batch cooking whenever we can – and by that we mean making things in the crock pot, grill, or oven that can be used for several meals, or that freeze well for later use. Chili is something –anyone – can make, grilled chicken breast can be used or frozen for everything from tacos to pasta to… Aryn’s amazing easy crock-pot chicken tikka masala recipe! Seriously… try it… and if none of those work, give baking a batch of these awesome cranberry chocolate chip cookies a try. Eat a couple and then GIVE THEM AWAY to your neighbors! Wheeeeeeee… bring on the light!

But the cold is just too much, and the kids are going – insane – right? Never fear. We’ve been there, or more accurately, we’re currently there. Two of our favorite family outings include the La Crosse Children’s Museum, and The Cresco Wellness Center & Thompson Pool (indoor winter swimming!). Also don’t forget your local public library – which leads us to…

4) Read.

Reading is a life skill. No, really – it’s a skill that just about anyone can do in any location, and just because we’re “Grown Ups” doesn’t mean we have to be all boring and serious. Heck, reading Calvin & Hobbes can be just as good in the cold winter months as an epic tome of Tolstoy. Benji could read autobiographies and chef books all winter. But when was the last time you perused your local public loibrary? We love the Decorah Public Library – it’s a great place to spend time – kiddo or not. Daily newspapers, cozy reading nooks, great books and magazines, and a sweet selection of DVDs – they even offer the FREE “Bridges” Iowa e-library – an online selection of e-books at no charge.

We also happen to be big fans of book stores. There really is nothing like cracking open a nice new book and diving in to that “fresh print smell”! Dragonfly Books is our local favorite for new books, or Driftless Books and Music in Viroqua is a one-of-a-kind place for used treasures.

(Creative Commons Image)

5) Volunteer.

It’s an easy thing to say – but it doesn’t always seem like an easy thing to do. But volunteerism is awesome and not as hard as you think, and it makes you feel good while helping others.
Do you have a family member in a Senior Living Center? No matter if you don’t, almost every senior care facility has outlets for volunteers, or will be happy to point you to a new friend who could use a visit on any given day. Benji had three different grandparents spend time at Aase Haugen Senior Living in Decorah, and with each grandparent, we got to know whole other groups of seniors who had stories to share and who loved to talk about their lives – many of which we’ve featured in our “probituaries”. (See the Probit collection here!)

Ever want to be a super hero? You still could be! Training for volunteer fire fighters and first responders is always ongoing. Talk to your local fire department to see what the current needs are and how you can train to be involved. Benji’s dad was a ‘career’ volunteer firefighter (over 30 years!) and it was a great community to grow up around. You could do it too – and it could literally be a life saving adventure!

Community non-profits and civic organizations are also great places to plug into for volunteer opportunities. Organizations like Rotary, Lions, JayCees, Elks, etc, are always looking for members and provide great community services. Check out your local chapters or simply ask someone how to become a member – it’s often fun and easy!

And don’t forget your local school, church, or city commissions. Plugging in to your community is easier than you might imagine, and making the place you live better by service is a great feeling.

Gratitude. Being thankful. Reflecting on the opportunities and bounty that you have in your life. Nobody’s life is perfect. Really, not one person. But in a recent post, our friend Peter Awad, who runs the “Slow Hustle” podcast, reflected upon a friend who had just lost a child – while as a society we are so quick to whine and gripe about the smallest of inconveniences in our incredible daily lives. Each day is an opportunity, light or dark, to make the most of our lives. And maybe you have been through the terrible experience of suddenly losing a child, close friend, or family member – and for that we hope you’ll share your experience with others to help them reflect on the prosperity of their own lives. Each day is the next day of our lives. Shine on.

We’ve recently taken to the activity of writing down three things we’re grateful for on a (semi) daily basis. Have you ever asked a three-year-old what they’re grateful for? The act of doing so will quickly become something you are thankful for. And that’s the point – simple reflections on the positive things you have in your life – big or small – may make the daily difference to help pull through these dark fall and winter days. After all, each day is a gift – they’re all we have, so we might as well enjoy each one!

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 marks the Winter Solstice – the longest night of the year before the light starts to return. Mark it on your calendar, light a candle, and enjoy the changing of the seasons. Our new “Winter” issue of Inspire(d) will be out the first week of December – just in time to help celebrate the coming light!

The amazing Benji Nichols (my husband) has known this for decades, so I don’t know why it’s taken me almost a decade into our relationship to give it a fighting chance (okay: running a magazine, having a baby, watching all the Netflix…those are probably the reasons).

But no more! Over the past month-ish, I’ve been renting mountain bikes from Decorah Bicycles to see if I can somehow be a badass-mountain-biking-bitch.

Here are 5 things I’ve learned (spoiler: lessons may also be applied to life):

You’re going to crash. Once you get the first crash done, the next one doesn’t seem so scary.

Uphill climbs are so hard! But they get better if you keep working at it.

Using your body AND mind to navigate roots, rocks, twists, and dips is an amazing experience.

You might run over a dead mouse every now and then. It’s okay. Get over it and move on.

If you can’t get through a section of trail right away, go back and try again. And again. Victory is exhilarating! (Don’t be alarmed if you accidentally shout, “F#*k yeah!” Swearing is acceptable encouraged.)

After a week or two of riding by myself and with Josie, I went out with Benji (yikes, I was nervous!). I had ridden with him probably five times before probably five years ago, and I really wanted him to think I was kicking ass. Of course, I crashed. But that was after I kicked ass.

We climbed up and rolled down the challenging single-track of Decorah and I was proud of myself. There were many “woohoos” and lots of sweat. At the top of Van Peenen Prairie, I looked at Benji, smiled – excited – and said, “I think I might be a mountain biker!”

He looked at me and snorted. I expected one of his usual snarky remarks, but instead he threw a hand up for a high five and said, “I’ve got news for you: You are a mountain biker.”

F#*k yeah!

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Wanna ride with me? Let’s rent bikes together (it’s a great way to figure out what you like to ride, or if you like to ride)! Or join Josie and Travis at Decorah Bicycles for their weekly Sunday FWD Rides. Get more details and sign up here! Ride on, you unicorns!

Fall seems like a good time for doing things. Days are still long, the weather is good and opportunities (necessities?) abound for fun, exercise, and taking care of da house and yarden. But that very fact often drives me into a funk. Because I’m all like, I don’t wanna do things! Mainly, I want to drink beer with friends and/or watch all the Netflix. But, ultimately, doing things helps you get out of pretty much any funk, so here I am, doing things. (Because, yes, even this crazy cheerleader-type lady who started a sun-shiny magazine about inspiration gets in some funky darn funks.)

So what things am I doing? Well, for starters, I’m writing! (I know; it may not seem like it just yet.) Taking the time to justwrite (Ha. As Hemingway said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do it sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”) is something I haven’t done in a long, long time. And that’s a damn shame.

My trouble is finding the motivation.

The ball we need to get rolling can feel like an 800-pound boulder. But if we can just get it rocking past the tipping point, we can watch that mother-flipping thing roll down the whole damn hill. Momentum, baby. It’s what we’re trying to harness here. I have a few tricks to make this work in my life and I thought I’d share them here today (spoiler alert: I’m a list fan).

1. Lists: Today, To-Do, Life

It’s fitting that the first thing on my list today is “make a list” (check that off the list, woot!). I have three lists: “today” and a general “to-do” one sitting next to me, and a “life list” on my computer. Let’s talk about today lists first.

A. Today lists:

Sometimes I look at the big (giant) general to-do list of things I need to get done and I feel over-freaking-whelmed. Give yourself a break –make a breakout list! Breakout lists are smaller – for me, usually just a quarter of an 8.5×11 page – and only have the things I need/want to get done on one day. Breakout lists also give me the chance to cross things off twice (on the to-do and today lists), which is so very, very satisfying (amIright?).

But still: how to get the motivation? Do the easy stuff first. I have been known to write, “take a shower” on my list. (Especially post-becoming-a-parent, because, damn, it can be hard to find the time!) We work from home, so my day list is a little unique in that I can include housework too. The thing that gets my ball rolling is laundry (that sounds a little dirty, ha)! That blessed machine does all the work, but somehow makes me feel like I’m getting sh*t done! I often do laundry first-thing in the morning. Sometimes I even shower WHILE the dryer is going…cause then we’re really getting somewhere! If you have a more traditional job, maybe you can write, “organize desk” or “make office coffee” or even “clean up computer desktop”. A tidy workspace can make the day seem so much brighter. And, look: You can cross something off your list already. Go, you!

B. To-do lists:

This is the stuff you need to get done – written down because you don’t want to forget, but know you can’t possibly get it done in one day (or month) – all in one place. This list is often long, and can freak me out. I sometimes hide this list and only look at what’s on for today.

C. Life lists:

What are your dreams? Your goals? Think this month, this year, the next five, and, ultimately, your entire life. Breakout lists can come handy here too! 🙂 My current life list is titled “35 Before 35” – I turn 35 next year, and made this list at age 30. Before that, I had “30 before 30” made at age 22. I had some “rollover” goals move from that list to current – NBD, folks. Just writing goals down is a motivator. If you’re making a life list like this, make sure to also include some easy stuff. (See 1A, re: motivation.)

2. No fun Internet until you get the most important thing on your list done.

Simple concept; big impact.

3. When you find yourself getting off track – trailing into your time-wasters – go do something else on your list. For me, it’s usually house stuff or prepping/cooking food. I recently starting making exercise the “hey, do something for yourself” thing I do too (hopefully that’s a new habit!).

None of this is to say you can’t spend a little time on Facebook or searching for vintage campers on Craigslist; just recognize when you’re doing those things to simply avoid other work.

4. Pat yourself on the back

Stop being so damn hard on yourself. Once you give yourself a break, you’ll realize you’re doing pretty well in this here life. Did you get one thing done today? Did you even slightly utilize your day in a way you wanted? Then give yourself a high five, friend, because this is LIFE! No guilt, no worry, no regret. Are there only five minutes left in the day and you didn’t get one thing done? Do one little thing, then plan to ride the momentum into tomorrow. And then pat yourself on your damn back. You got this.